Electrophotographic plate-making apparatus

Abstract

An electrophotographic plate-making apparatus in which a light beam is applied to the surface of a photoconductive sensitive material from a light-beam applying device so as to form an image and a register mark on the surface of the sensitive material the image and the register mark are transferred onto an outer peripheral surface of an intermediate transfer material, a recording material and the intermediate transfer material are moved while the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer while the outer peripheral surface of the are brought into contact with each other, the movement of the recording material and the intermediate transfer material is controlled by detecting the transferred register mark, thereby to transfer the image onto the recording material with high positional accuracy. By forming the register mark through light-beam scanning, it is possible to provide the photosensitive material with the register mark efficiently and reliably, so that the image can be transferred onto the recording material with high positional accuracy.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrophotographic plate-making apparatus for recording an image on a recording material, comprising: a photoconductive sensitive material;   light-beam applying means for forming an image and a mark indicating a position of a first area corresponding to said image by applying a light beam onto a surface of said photoconductive sensitive material;   movable intermediate transfer means for transferring said image and said mark formed on said photoconductive sensitive material onto a surface of said transfer means;   moving means for moving said recording material;   detecting means for detecting said mark transferred onto said intermediate transfer means; and   control means for controlling at least one of operation of said moving means and movement of said intermediate transfer means based on a detection signal of said detecting means in such a manner that said first area and a second area of said recording material where said image is to be recorded will be registered with each other, and for controlling operation of said moving means and movement of said intermediate transfer means while said surface of said intermediate transfer means and said recording material are brought into contact with each other, so as to transfer said image, transferred onto said surface of said intermediate transfer means, onto said recording material.   
     
     
       2. An electrophotographic plate-making apparatus to claim 1, wherein said light-beam applying means comprises a semiconductor laser optical system for applying a laser beam onto said surface of said photoconductive sensitive material. 
     
     
       3. An electro-photographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said semiconductor laser optical system comprises a semiconductor laser for oscillating a laser beam, image-information supplying means for generating signals of varying frequencies in response to image information, and an acoustic optical modulator, wherein the signals of varying frequencies generated by said image-information supplying means are supplied to said acoustic optical modulator, and when the laser beam oscillated by said semiconductor laser passes through said acoustic optical modulator, the laser beam being diffracted in different directions corresponding to the frequencies of the signals so as to effect scanning by a plurality of laser beams. 
     
     
       4. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mark is formed at a boundary portion between said first image area and a non-image area. 
     
     
       5. A electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mark is formed in a non-image area of the surface of said photoconductive sensitive material 
     
     
       6. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls at least one of the movement in a moving direction at the time of transfer and the movement in a direction perpendicular to said moving direction, of at least one of said recording material and said intermediate transfer means. 
     
     
       7. A electro-photographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is provided at a reference position, and said control means controls at least one of the operation of said moving means and the movement of said intermediate transfer means based on a distance from said reference position to a predetermined position on said recording material and a distance from said reference position to said mark. 
     
     
       8. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 1, said mark, comprising plurality of indicating marks formed at predetermined intervals along a direction of movement caused by said moving means. 
     
     
       9. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means calculates a moving velocity of said intermediate transfer means based on a time difference detected with respect to said plurality of marks and a respective dimension between said plurality of marks, and controls at least one of the operation of said moving means and the movement of said intermediate transfer means based on said moving velocity. 
     
     
       10. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate transfer means comprises a layered member having an electrically conductive layer provided on a film-like base and an insulating layer provided on an upper surface of said electrically conductive layer. 
     
     
       11. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: an intermediate transfer drum including replacing means which is disposed inside said intermediate transfer drum and is adapted to hold said layered member over an outer peripheral portion of and inside said intermediate transfer drum and to replace a portion of said layered member located on the outer peripheral portion of said intermediate transfer drum with a portion of said layered member located inside said intermediate transfer drum, applying means for applying a bias voltage to said electrically conductive layer, and changeover means for changing over a polarity of said bias voltage. 
     
     
       12. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said intermediate transfer drum is constituted by a hollow member formed of a light-transmitting material, and said detecting means is adapted to effect said detection by means of light and is disposed in said intermediate transfer drum, said layered member being adapted to allow the light to be transmitted therethrough. 
     
     
       13. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said intermediate transfer drum is covered with a sheet-like resilient member whose outer peripheral surface is formed of a light-transmitting material. 
     
     
       14. An electrophotographic plate-making apparatus for recording an image on a recording material, comprising: a photoconductive sensitive material;   light-beam applying means for forming an image and a mark indicating a position of a first area corresponding to said image by applying a light beam onto a surface of said photoconductive sensitive material;   movable intermediate transfer means for transferring said image and said mark formed on said photoconductive sensitive material onto a surface of said transfer means;   moving means for moving said recording material;   detecting means for detecting said mark transferred onto said intermediate transfer means and for detecting said recording material; and   control means for controlling at least one of operation of said moving means and movement of said intermediate transfer means based on a detection signal of said detecting means in such a manner that said first area and a second area of said recording material where said image is to be recorded will be registered with each other, and for controlling operation of said moving means and movement of said intermediate transfer means while surface of said intermediate transfer means and said recording material are brought into contact with each other, so as to transfer said image, transferred onto said surface of said intermediate transfer means, onto said recording material.   
     
     
       15. An electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said light-beam applying means comprises a semiconductor laser optical system for applying a laser beam onto said surface of said photoconductive sensitive material. 
     
     
       16. An electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said semiconductor laser optical system comprises a semiconductor laser for oscillating a laser beam, image-information supplying means for generating signals of varying frequencies in response to image information, and an acoustic optical modulator, wherein the signals of varying frequencies generated by said image-information supplying means are supplied to said acoustic optical modulator, and when the laser beam oscillated by said semiconductor laser passes through said acoustic optical modulator, the laser beam is diffracted in different directions corresponding to the frequencies of the signals so as to effect scanning by a plurality of laser beams. 
     
     
       17. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said mark is formed at a boundary portion between said first image area and a non-image area. 
     
     
       18. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said control means controls at least one of movement in a moving direction at a time of transfer and movement in a direction perpendicular to said moving direction, of at lest one of said recording material and said intermediate transfer means. 
     
     
       19. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said intermediate transfer means comprises a layered member having an electrically conductive layer provided on a film-like base and an insulating layer provided on an upper surface of said electrically conductive layer. 
     
     
       20. A electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising an intermediate transfer drum including replacing means which is disposed inside said intermediate transfer drum and is adapted to hold said layered member over an outer peripheral portion of and inside said intermediate transfer drum and to replace a portion of said layered member located on the outer peripheral portion of said intermediate transfer drum with a portion of said layered member located inside said intermediate transfer drum, applying means for applying a bias voltage to said electrically conductive layer, and changeover means for changing over a polarity of said bias voltage. 
     
     
       21. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said intermediate transfer drum is constituted by a hollow member formed of a light-transmitting material, and said detecting means is adapted to effect said detection by means of light and is disposed in said intermediate transfer drum, said layered member being adapted to allow the light to be transmitted therethrough. 
     
     
       22. A electrophotographic plate-making apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said intermediate transfer drum is covered with a sheet-like resilient member whose outer peripheral surface is formed of a light-transmitting material. 
     
     
       23. A electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said detecting means is fixed to said moving means so that a forward end of said recording material in a moving direction thereof and said mark will fall under a range of detection.